Katy motorcyclist accused of leaving passenger behind after crash

A Katy man is in custody after crashing his motorcycle earlier this month and allegedly leaving his passenger on the side of the road, court records show.

Steven Merka, 22, has been charged with failure to stop and render aid after the crash July 2 at 18600 FM 529 in Katy, according to documents from Harris County District Court.

A Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy found the woman on the roadway with several large scratches, visible road rash, clearly in pain, the document states. Doctors later found that she had a broken left scapula and nerve damage to her elbow. A witness at the scene said the motorcycle driver had been weaving in and out of traffic, driving very fast. She told police that he tried to suddenly stop to avoid a car in front of him, but instead lost control, causing the motorcycle to flip over several times, throwing the driver and passenger from the vehicle, the document states.

The bleeding driver, later identified as Merka, sat down several minutes after the crash before leaving the scene without the woman passenger, the witness told police.

Merka’s mother arrived on the scene later and told the deputy that her son had left the scene to return home, a few blocks down the road. After an investigation, deputies found that Merka’s motorcycle was not registered and his license was currently suspended, the document states. When interviewed, the suspect told investigators that he left the scene because he didn’t know what to do, and he did not have insurance for the motorcycle.